Improvement in locks



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WALTER DlKSON, 0F ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Laders Patent No. 63,230, dated' filare/t :25, 186i'.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, WALTER DIGKSON, of the city of Albany, in the county of Albany, and State of New Yorkhave invented a new and improved Lock; and I do hereby declare vthat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the Same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a lock constructed according to my invention and applied to a door. i

Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the same.

Figure 3 is a detached perspective view of the tumbler of the lock.

Figure 4 is a side view ofa key used in operating thesame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

.This invention consists in the arrangement of the tumbler within the spindle of th\V lock, which is made hollow for the purpose; also in .a novel arrangement of the tumbler-stump within the bolt, and in relation to the spindle and tumbler; and further, in the application of a key, the body of which is formed of a true spiral twist'like that of the screw-auger, with a matrix corresponding thereto, within a movable block or blocks, through which the key passes to act upon the follower.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A represents the door to which the lock is applied, the case, B, of the lock, in which is placed the sliding bolt C, and the appurtenances thereof, being tted into a suitable recess or mortise formed inthe edge of the said door in the usual manner, the outer end of the bolt C projecting into the notch or socket, a, in the doorjamb, D, when the door is closed, as more clearly`shown in iig. 2. Extending transversely through the door and through the caso B, and also through the bolt C, is the hollow cylindrical spindle, E, which has solidly formed upon one of its ends a knob or handle, c, while upon the opposite end thereof is secured a. similar knob, b, by means of a small set-screw, e. Formed centrally in each of the knobs, c Z1, in line with the axis of the spindle E, is a cylindrical key-hole,f. The bolt C is made hollow and open atthe sides, as shown more clearly iu ig.1, and is pressed outward longitudinally by a spring, g, situated in theinner or rearmost end of the case B, behind the said bolt C. Formed internally upon the upper part of the bolt C, near the rearmost end thereof, is a' downwardly projecting spur, h, and iixed upon the spindle E is a collar, I, on the upper side of which is formed a projection, the rear side of which is immediately in front of the 'forward side or faceiof the spur z, so that when the spindle is turned back the projection 7' will press vback upon the said spur, and thus draw the b'olt away from the notch or socket a, in the door-jamb, and thus permit the door to be opened in'the usual way. Formed opposite each other in the central part of the spindle E, or, iu other words, in that part thereof which passes through the bolt C, are two transverse slots, 7c c, which also extend through the collar z', as more clearly shown in iig. 1. G is a solid pin which forms the tumbler-stumpof the lock. The forward or outer end of the said pin or tumbler-stump Gris screwed into the forward end of the bolt C, and is supported near its inner or rearmo'st end by being passed through a hole in a transverse brace, m, firmly secured to the two sides of the case B, and passing transversely through the hollow bolt C. The rearmost end of this tumblerstump G is extended into the hollow spindle E, through the slots 7c, as represented in figs. 1 and :2, and is'acted upon bythe tumbler to hold the bolt C in a locked position, as will be presently explained. Placed in the central part of the spindle E is a cylindrical block, II, which serves the purpose of a tumbler, and which has formed transversely in one of its sides a deep notch or groove, n. The said groove is situated in line with the slots 7c, in such manncrbat when the tumbler H is turned in the position shown in dark lines in figs. l and 2, the tumblerd stump G will slide through the said groove n as the bolt C is drawn back from the socket a, and when the tumbler is turned at right angles to such position, so that thcbottoin of the groove n is brought behind the rear end of the said tumbler-stump G, as shown in red lines in iig. 1, it will effcctually prevent the said pin from moving buck, and consequently keeping the bolt (l from sliding back from the socket a, in the door-jamb D, retains the said bolt in a locked position. Formed transversely in each end of the tumbler l-I are one or more grooves, i', by means of which the key I, (the simplest form of which is shown in iig. 4,) is enabled to turn the tumbler in the position just explained. `The said key being thrust inward through one of the key-holes f,

until the teeth or spurs s, on its extremity, catch in one of the grooves r, in the end of the .tumbler H, when, by giving the key one-quarter et' a turn in one direction or the other, as required, the tumbler will be turned from one position to the other, cit-her tov prevent the bolt C from moving back from the socket a when the door is locked, or to release the said bolt, and allow it to slide when it is desired to use it as an ordinary latch, as hereinbct'ore explained. In order to prevent the tumbler from being turned around by any instrument other than its proper key, which would he likely toeceur if no guard were interposed between the said tumbler and the key-beleef, the lower end ofthe key Iis' made of spiral form, as represented in tig. 4; and placed withinr the hollow spindle E are two cylindrical blocks or guards, J, oi soft metal, one at each end of the tumbler Il, as shown in iig. 2. 'lhese guards d are loosely iitted in the spindle, so'as to turn yfreely around therein, and formed lengthwise in the centre of euch is a spiral slot or passage, u, corresponding in shape with the spiral end of the key I, so that the said key being passed in at the key-holef, as just mentioned, is turned around and forced inward until the spiral portion thereof extends through the said spira-l slot u, in the guard J, and the teeth s are brought into one of the grooves 1', in thev end of the tumbler, on which aquarter turn of the key operates thetumbler, as just herein set forth. In order that the tumbler may be properly retained in either position, a flat spring, a', is situated in a longitudinal slot formed in one side of the spindle E, and is secured at one end to the said spindle, and has upon its opposite er free end a short inwardly projectingr pin, e', which fits into small holes or recesses, ef and c, which nre formed in the outer surface of the tumbler, at a distance apart equal t0 one-fourth of the circumference thereof, so thatthe said pin e will tit into one or the other of the said holes, according to the position oi the tumblergthe inner sides or edges of the said holes e e being made slopin to allow the pin et to spring out therefrom when the tumbler is turned by the key I, as set forth. Furthermore, the freeturning movement allowed te the said Lguards J prevents them from being drilled out to allow the passage of an improper instrument through the key-holesf. The key of each leek is designed t0 have a different twist from any or" the others, and the guards J are intended to be of soft metal, such as tin or pewter, and made by casting them upon the spiral ends of the keys, so that tlie spiral slot n thus formed will tit the particular key belongingto it, and no other, while the spiral r`form of the slots, and the facility with which the guards turn around in the spindle E, prevent the introduction of other instruments te turn the tumbler.

The spiral portion et' thekey may he lformed either with or without a central stem or core, and instead of the 5 teeth s, on the key, acting upon the transverse Igrooves r, in the ends of the tumbler, the ends of the key and the ends of the tumbler may be made to Fit each other in any suitable form, to turn the tumbler as required. In order to limit the turning movement of the key I in operating the lock, suitable stops may be formed upon the knobs b c, at the outer ends of the key-holesf, to prevent the key from makinr more than a quarter turn. By these men-ns a burglar-prooflock of simple construction is`.obtnined, which may also be employed to serve the purpose of a common latch, and in which the necessity of a key-hole in the casing of the lock, and the eseuteheon usually employed therewith are dispensed with, so Athat no opening is left through which the interior of the lock can he reached.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement ot' the tumbler Il, to operate within the hollow spindle E, substantially as herein specified.

2. The combination of the tumbler II, within the hollow spindle, and the key inserted into the end et' the said spindle, and penetrating into the end of said tumbler, substantially as herein specified.

3. The stump G, arranged in connection with the bolt C, and in relation with the hollow spindle and the tumbler H within the spindle, substantially as herein described.

4. The application to a lock of a Vkey having its body formed of a true spiral twist like that of a. screwauger, with a matrix correspondingT thereto, formed within a mov-able block or blocks, the key passing through said matrix to aet upon the follower in'the manner and for the purpose specified.

. WALTER DICKSON.

Witnesses i R. MACFARLANE, WM.' H. Tanon. 

